NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stock markets closed mixed on Friday, with the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite surging to a fresh record, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average posted a modest loss. 

The Standard and Poor's 500 closed at 7,165.08, gaining 56.68 points or 0.80% on the day. The broad-market index touched an intraday high of 7,168.59 and saw trading volume of 3.157 billion shares. The index now sits well above its 52-week low of 5,433.24.

In contrast, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 79.61 points, or 0.16%, to end Friday at 49,230.71. The blue-chip index swung between a low of 49,085.75 and a high of 49,393.34 during the session. The Dow continues to trade near its 52-week high of 50,512.79.

Leading the charge higher was the NASDAQ Composite, which surged 398.09 points, or 1.63%, to close at 24,836.60. Strong gains in mega-cap technology and growth stocks fueled the rally, with volume reaching 8.295 billion shares. The Nasdaq's performance outpaced the other major U.S. averages, underscoring renewed investor appetite for the tech sector.

Intel was a star performer Friday, adding $15.79 or 23.64 percent to close out the day, and week, at $82.57 a share.

U.S. Dollar Slips Against Major Currencies on Friday as Sterling and Kiwi Lead Gains

The U.S. dollar ended Friday's trading session broadly weaker against most of its major counterparts, as investors reacted to shifting interest rate expectations and a flurry of end-of-week position adjustments. The British pound and the New Zealand dollar emerged as the day's strongest performers.

Euro and Sterling Climb Higher

The euro advanced against the greenback, with the EUR/USD pair rising 0.003670 points, or 0.31 percent, to settle at 1.1720. Trading ranged between a low of 1.1673 and a high of 1.1721, as the single currency benefited from better-than-expected sentiment data out of the eurozone.

Sterling posted even stronger gains. The GBP/USD pair jumped 0.006430 points, or 0.48 percent, settling at 1.3531. The pound reached an intraday high of 1.3531 against a low of 1.3453, supported by hawkish remarks from a Bank of England policymaker earlier in the week.

U.S. Dollar Loses Ground Against Swiss Franc and Canadian Dollar

The U.S. currency also retreated against the Swiss franc. The USD/CHF pair fell 0.001125 points, or 0.14 percent, to last trade on Friday at 0.7850. The pair traded between 0.7846 and 0.7877.

Similarly, the USD/CAD pair declined 0.003700 points, or 0.27 percent, to settle at 1.3663. The Canadian dollar was bolstered by rising crude oil prices, with the pair hitting a low of 1.3663 after opening at 1.3701 and reaching a high of 1.3715.

Antipodean Currencies Rally

The Australian and New Zealand dollars both posted solid gains to close out the week. The AUD/USD pair rose 0.002455 points, or 0.34 percent, finishing at 0.7153. The pair moved between a low of 0.7115 and a high of 0.7155.

The New Zealand dollar was the top performer of the session. The NZD/USD pair climbed 0.002865 points, or 0.49 percent, to 0.5880. After opening at 0.5855, the kiwi reached a high of 0.5883 against a low of 0.5839.

Yen Edges Higher Against the Dollar

The Japanese yen strengthened modestly against the U.S. dollar. The USD/JPY pair fell 0.3130 points, or 0.2 percent, to 159.39. The pair opened at 159.69, traded as high as 159.84, and dropped to a low of 159.31.

FX Market Summary

In summary, the U.S. dollar finished the day lower against all of the major currencies listed, with the largest decline seen against the New Zealand dollar (down 0.49 percent), followed by sterling (down 0.48 percent). The dollar posted more modest losses against the euro (down 0.31 percent) and the Australian dollar (down 0.34 percent).

Global Stock Markets Friday Wrap: Asian Indexes Rally, UK, European Benchmarks Slip

Global stock exchanges concluded Friday's trading session with a sharply divided performance, as several Asian markets posted strong gains while most European indexes finished in the red. Investors digested a mix of corporate earnings and economic signals, leading to choppy trading in the final session of the week.

UK and European Markets See Broad Declines

European benchmarks closed mostly lower, with France's CAC 40 suffering the steepest drop among the major regional indexes. The CAC 40 fell 69.50 points, or 0.84 percent, to end at 8,157.82.

Germany's DAX P showed more resilience but still finished in the red, edging down 26.47 points, or 0.11 percent, closing at 24,128.98.

The broader EURO STOXX 50 I declined 11.25 points, or 0.19 percent, to 5,883.48. The Euronext 100 Index dropped 7.46 points, or 0.41 percent, reaching 1,803.42. Belgium's BEL 20 saw one of the larger regional losses, falling 49.32 points, or 0.91 percent, to 5,342.71.

The FTSE 100 in London also lost ground, sliding 77.93 points, or 0.75 percent, to settle at 10,379.08. 

Canada's S&P/TSX Composite Index closed at 33,904.11, slipping just 8.82 points, or 0.03%. The Toronto market saw a quiet end to the week, with volume of 223.559 million shares, as losses in energy and materials were largely offset by gains in technology and financials.

Asian Markets: A Mixed but Mostly Upbeat Picture

Asian indexes provided a stark contrast, led by a spectacular rally in Taiwan. The TWSE Capitalization Weighted Stock Index surged 1,218.25 points, or 3.23 percent, to close at 38,932.40.

Japan's Nikkei 225 also advanced, adding 575.95 points, or 0.9 percent, to finish at 59,716.18. Hong Kong's HANG SENG Index gained 62.87 points, or 0.24 percent, ending at 25,978.07.

Several other Asian markets, however, closed lower.

In India the S&P BSE SENSEX tumbled 999.79 points, or 1.29 percent, to 76,664.21, while Indonesia's IDX COMPOSITE fell sharply by 249.12 points, or 3.38 percent, settling at 7,129.49.

Elsewhere in the region on Friday, the STI Index in Singapore lost 21.25 points, or 0.43 percent, to 4,922.86. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dipped 6.90 points, or 0.08 percent, to 8,786.50, and the broader ALL ORDINARIES fell 17.80 points, or 0.20 percent, to 9,006.40.

Malaysia's FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI declined 1.36 points, or 0.08 percent, to 1,720.34, while New Zealand's S&P/NZX 50 INDEX GROSS lost 9.99 points, or 0.08 percent, finishing at 12,874.94. South Korea's KOSPI Composite Index was virtually unchanged, slipping just 0.18 points, or 0.00 percent, to 6,475.63.

Other Global Indexes

Elsewhere on Friday around the globe, Israel's TA-125 fell 53.50 points, or 1.24 percent. The South African Top 40 USD Net TRI Index gave up 24.02 points, or 0.34 percent, to 7,060.41. China's SSE Composite Index also declined, dropping 13.35 points, or 0.33 percent, closing at 4,079.90.

Trading volumes were generally steady, with the KOSPI reporting a high of 878,201 shares and the SSE Composite a turnover of 373.638 million shares.

(This report incorporates quotes retrieved with the assistance of artificial intelligence).

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